Cancer Patient Discrimination

SPRINGFIELD — The article by Ronald Kotulak on discrimination faced by cancer patients

(``Cancer patients face job bias,`` Dec. 5) was factual as far as the nationwide picture is concerned; however, it makes an error in discussing Illinois law. The last paragraph of the article in the Downstate edition says that the state Fair Employment Practices Act prohibits discrimination against cancer patients who are currently incapacitated, but not against those who have recovered from cancer. That statement is wrong on two counts.

First, the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Act was repealed and replaced by the Illinois Human Rights Act in 1980. Second, the Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination against people who currently have cancer, people with histories of cancer and people who are thought to have cancer. Therefore, people with cancer who recover enough to return to work still would be covered by the handicap provisions of the state`s Human Rights Act.